


shaking off the rust

by pettigrace



Series: ThallenWeek2015 [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, M/M, Spiders, Thallenweek2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 09:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4013944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pettigrace/pseuds/pettigrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The pretty blond student from next door has caught Barry's interest. || warnings: spiders</p>
            </blockquote>





	shaking off the rust

Barry has seen the other man a lot of times.

After all, they live in the same dorm and their rooms are across from each other.

He's seen him carry boxes up into his room, he's heard him come home drunk in the middle of the night, he's seen him enter his room with a couple of guys in football jerseys, about to watch the current match of _whoever._

They've also crossed paths every now and then, greeting each other with a nod and Pretty Boy (as Barry's subconscious has decided to call him because  _well, he doesn't know his name_ ) always gives him a wide grin so breathtaking that one time Barry actually ran against his door – luckily when the other one was out of sight.

He's also run into him in the faculty building a few times and he may or may not has secretly hoped that one day they'll sit in the same classroom. Because that would be an actual reason to start a conversation, wouldn't it?

So yeah, he's seen him a lot of times in various situations. But never like this.

He's been surprised when there was a knock on the door, after all it's almost midnight and who the hell would visit him then? Cisco, one guy from his Advanced Physics class whom he gets along with, maybe. Maybe he'd want him to join into an online game of his or something.

But then there was another knock and another until it almost sounded like someone was about to break down his door. This wasn't a friendly and random knock at the door, this sounded like the sheer product of panic and Barry felt his stomach get sick. What if that was Iris wanting to tell him something happened with Joe? Or what if something has happened to his father?

He couldn't even finish those thoughts, jumped up from his sofa and almost flew over to the door, expecting the worst.

And what he found in front of the door certainly wasn't the  _worst_ .

Pretty Boy stands in front of him, eyes wide open in shock and lips trembling. There's a minor sign of relief in is face when he sees Barry. “Oh. My.  _God. Thank God--_ you're here-- I need your help--”, he's barely breathing between the syllables, sounding so alarmed that Barry starts the panic creep up to  _him_ as well.

“Wha--?”, he wants to ask what's wrong, wants to make him calm down, but he doesn't even get that far because Pretty Boy grabs his wrist and pulls him out of the doorway up to his own room. And Barry can't even progress that he's basically holding hands with the attractive not-so-stranger or that his room's door is still open, because the other man is so scared--

Suddenly Pretty Boy stops walking, stops pulling him along but doesn't let go of his arm. They're facing the door to the bathroom and Barry can feel the other man trembling next to him, making him shiver, too.

“Wha--”, he starts again, but is cut off by Pretty Boy.  
“Please-- it's-- in _there--_ Can you-- make it... go away?”, he takes his eyes off the door for a second to look up at Barry. There are tears in his stunningly blue eyes and for a moment, Barry can't help but think _Yes, of course, everything._

But then he focuses again, almost swears at himself – after all he wants to become a professional and how he's acting right now is certainly  _not_ professional. Pretty Boy doesn't seem to be in the condition to actually tell him what's going on in the bathroom, but one thing's for sure: it's nothing pleasant. 

He wants to take a step forward but actually, Pretty Boy is still holding on to him and  _Jesus_ , this guy has a firm grip. Barry turns around to him and closes his free hand around Pretty Boy's that's holding on to his. Their eyes meet for a second and Pretty Boy still looks so so scared, Barry tries his best to assure him everything's going to be fine without saying anything. And Pretty Boy lets him go.

He walks over to the door as fast as he can without forgetting to be careful. When his hand reaches the doorknob, he considers looking back at Pretty Boy for confirmation but decides against it because looking at his face would probably make  _him_ panic as well. So he only takes a deep breath and opens the door.

He doesn't notice anything unusual. There's no dead body lying around, no mass murderer behind the shower curtain, not even any product out of row on the counter of the sink. So what has he been so scared of?

He's just turned around to leave the room again and ask what should've been wrong when he finally sees it. On the floor between toilet and shower. A dark point against the white tile. Barry almost starts laughing. Not because Pretty Boy is scared of spiders, but because  _he_ almost freaked out because of one, as well. Because he didn't even consider it could be something other than something criminal. 

“Um, do you have, like, a glass or something? And a piece of paper?”, Barry asks loudly, hoping that Pretty Boy is still there to hear him.

He can  _hear_ him exhale. “Oh my god, you're still alive.”

Barry can't hide a grin at that. “Yeah, of course I am.”, he answers and walks up to the door frame again. Pretty Boy still looks scared but somehow also a lot calmer now, probably because now the spider isn't  _his_ problem anymore. “Okay, no but really-- I need a cup or something--”  
“Oh yeah, right.”, Pretty Boy answers and walks up to a cupboard and takes out a mug. On his way back to Barry he grabs a magazine from a table.  
When he hands it to him, Barry says, “Um, you should open a window maybe so I can throw it out-- and then maybe stay away from it so you don't--- you know?” 

Pretty Boy nods firmly and walks up to his window. And Barry turns around to face the spider.

It's really small but he knows better than to make fun of people's fears, so he kneels down and places the mug over it before shoving the magazine under it.

And then he hurries out of the room, up to the window. He notices Pretty Boy standing on the other side of the room, watching him. Barry doesn't place the spider on the sill like he'd normally do but actually throws it out of the window, so that Pretty Boy can be sure it won't come back in soon.

Barry closes the window and turns around to Pretty Boy who  _just looks so relieved_ . The big smile Barry likes so much is back and he can't help but smile back. 

“You actually just saved my life.”, Pretty Boy breathes.

Barry can't do anything but chuckle and answer, “Um, actually I'm sure you-- uh, you wouldn't have ended up...  _dead_ .”

“Still, you're my personal hero now.”, Pretty Boy smiles and steps closer again. “How about a drink as a thank you?”

“Uh...”, Barry scratches his forehead. “Actually, I-- I have a class in the morning...”, he answers and at the same time he wishes he could kick his own ass. This is probably his only chance to actually spend time with the other man and he blows it. That's a typical Barry Allen move.

“Yeah, no-- I mean, me too.”, Pretty Boy replies. “I was thinking about Friday maybe?”

Barry feels a warmth grow all over is body, making his stomach twist in joy. “Yes, that should work.”

Pretty Boy gives him another happy grin. “Awesome.”

“Okay, well then. I should, um, I should go.”, Barry says and makes his way to the room's door. “I-- um... Good night?”

“Yeah, you too.”, Pretty Boy laughs and walks up to the door as well, hand resting on the handle. 

“Oh wait!”, Barry calls out – a little too loud – just when the door's about to be closed behind him. “I-- uh. What's _your name_?”

“Eddie.”, he smiles. “And yours? Or shall I from now on refer to you as my hero in sweatpants?”

Barry blushes. “Name's Barry.”

“Alright, Barry. I'll see you around.”, Eddie smiles. “Friday the latest.”

Barry nods with a smile and while he tries to enter his room, he runs into the door frame.


End file.
